A Christmas Wish by Joseph Pittman

Author:Joseph Pittman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2011-08-17T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

When we returned to the farmhouse, it was late afternoon and the sun had already dipped below the horizon. Cold air had settled over the land, so much so I could see my breath blowing before me. I asked Janey if she still wanted me to take her over to Ashley’s. She declined.

“I don’t need to see her, not today.”

“What about the sleepover?”

“Nah, I didn’t really want to.”

“Okay, go upstairs and warm up. I’ll take care of the tree.”

She bounded into the house, leaving me to my happy work. I unloaded the tree and proceeded to unwrap the strings from its body. As I carried it into the backyard to settle back into its proper shape, the fresh scent filled me with the Christmas spirit. Suddenly I couldn’t wait to decorate it, Janey and I singing carols while we adorned the tree with lights and ornaments and shiny tinsel . . . icicles.

I went inside and made some hot chocolate and took it up to Janey’s room. She wouldn’t be drinking the cocoa, not now. Guess the excitement of the day, or maybe the range of emotions that had toyed with her, had caught up to her. Whatever the reason, she was plain tuckered out and had fallen asleep. I tossed a blanket over her and closed her bedroom door.

When I returned downstairs, a knock came at the front door. I peered through the curtain, saw that Mark Ravens had dropped by.

“Hey, Mark,” I said, while standing on the porch in my stocking feet. The temperature had dropped significantly in the hour since coming home. I rubbed my arms. “Quickly, come in. It’s bitter out there.”

“Thanks, hope I’m not disturbing you. I know you’ve got to get to get to the tavern soon. I’ve got work, too, down in Hudson. Got to hit the road soon,” he said, removing his winter coat.

Saturday night was one of my nights at the tavern, and it was usually one of the busiest. But I still had a half hour before happy hour began. Besides, if I was a few minutes late, it meant Janey could rest that much longer. She was having dinner with Gerta and would then help her with her tree decorating. As they had said, the two were going to establish a new tradition. As it was, Saturday night was Gerta’s regular night for watching Janey. I’d only asked Janey if she wanted to go to Ashley’s to test her mood.

“So, what’s up?” I asked Mark as the two of us sat around the kitchen table. I grabbed two Cokes from the fridge and set them down.

“It’s about Sara.”

“I figured,” I said. “You two have gotten, what should I say, cozier, since the last time I saw you?”

He smiled wide, the smile of a man in love. “Oh, way beyond that, man. Brian, I’m crazy about her. I think she feels the same about me. It’s funny, all those times I went to the Five-O, it just never occurred to me to ask her out.

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